Earlier this year I was gifted a magical experience at Gandhi 3.0. Throughout my time at the gathering, along with my entire time spent with these love warriors in other parts of India, I felt like I was being carried by a cloud of kindness. I knew I would never be able to pay back the gift. Then again, I also knew that paying them back would be actually antithetical to what was offered. These love magicians were not seeking to receive back what they offered to me and others. Instead, I believe they longed for the seed which they planted to become an an inquiry around how we can similarly step into supporting and taking care of others in need in such a way.

Lucky for me, the opportunity arrived a few weeks ago when I helped gather together a group of 38 animal rights advocates for a 5 day silent meditation retreat in Northern California. For all but two people, this was their very first retreat. Some hadn't taken time off of work in years. For a few this was their first time ever even meditating. Many came having faced serious trauma in their lives, and most came having beard witness to the worst that man is capable of. However, all came hungry for a deeper well from which they could be nourished and sustained in their lives and in their service to those without a voice.

It was my honor to be there, and to help create the causes and conditions for a more reliable form of happiness to blossom within them. In the process, I was nourished in a way I had not yet experienced. Watching their transformation I rejoiced. In the process my joy multiplied by 38x. Collaborating with friends who supported this event and these people (and me) in countless way doubled that! 

Many stories stick out in my head from the retreat. One that comes to mind was during an embodied mindfulness exercise I led.  I had the participants take physical poses of important experiences in their life related to their work (e.g. first time they connected to the suffering of animals, how they feel when they see animals treated cruelly, what it feels like to be around loved ones who eat meat....). The exercise brought up a lot of trauma for people that had been pushed down deep inside their psyche and ignored. One person, who ran out of the room sobbing, latter told me that this was the first time she had cried in almost ten years. It seems, as a protective measure, she built a veneer over her her heart to cover the grief. She told me how she felt so much more in touch with her feeling and available to life from being able to grieve and once again feel her sadness.  

A couple of participants wrote blogs about their experience. Below are a couple of highlights from those blogs. I bow down to the many angels at Gandhi 3.0 who's example encouraged me to keep passing the baton of selfless service grounded in loving wisdom forward. I have already arranged to host a day long meditation workshop at the upcoming Animal Rights Conference in August and now intend to help pull together more of these retreats at least 1x/year.



"I could go on and on about everything that came up during this retreat and how I plan to integrate the teachings into my life. But in the end, all of these things faded away like the sound of the singing bowl, in the vast stillness of my illuminous mind during meditation. And that’s the stillness I will return to when the world gets too much."

"the sense of calm and equanimity that I feel through the day is priceless. Don’t get me wrong. I’ll still be putting in long hours at work reading about the suffering of animals, sitting at my desk watching horrible video footage, and witnessing a world too distracted by the latest shiny object to care about what is happening to animals. But I’ll do those things with a bit more detachment, cultivating a longer view by focusing on the present moment

"With the exception of the gift of life, I have never been gifted something more valuable of profound. This experience has been a gift that will last a lifetime as I have attained a reservoir of mindful resources. I trust that I will continue to tap into myself as a source of clarity and wisdom, which may reverberate throughout my community and ultimately the world. I will express my gratitude by continuing to embody love. EH MA HO!" –Alice Coleman